The Past of Asteroid Eros
Explanation:
How did large rocks come to be scattered
on the surface of asteroid Eros?
Eros stands out not only because of its
proximity to Earth but also
because it was visited recently by
NASA's
NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft.
After arriving at
Eros in 2000 February, the robot probe was
maneuvered to a controlled landing earlier
this year.
Although
NEAR-Shoemaker is no longer active,
scientists are still pouring over the
images and data,
finding new mysteries, and drawing new hypotheses
about the ancient tumbling space mountain.
For example, analyzing the locations of rocks has led to the
hypothesis that many of them originated
in a single large collision that occurred
possibly about a billion years ago.
Still unknown, however, includes why Eros has
unusual ponds of blue dust.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
